Google is quickly becoming the best platform for Content Marketers. They get it and they are quickly pulling all of the pieces together. Most recently, Google announced Google Currents, which pulls everything together for content marketers who want to easily distribute content to mobile.

Google is Building Platforms for Both Content Creators and Content Consumers

Google has been hard at work building individual products (soon to be platforms) for both content creators and content consumers already. These products appear to be made at least partially being built for content marketers, they are beginning to integrate everything, and I think that they are going to nail it.

My observations:

Content Marketing is described really well in the Google eBook Zero Moment of Truth, (which I highly recommend) so it is clear that they understand Content Marketing really well.

They have several core properties that help content marketers with individual aspects of their programs, including SEO, G+, YouTube, Google Docs, Feedburner and Google Analytics.

They have a number of products that they are pulling together as a platform for content consumption, including Google Chrome, Google Reader, Google TV and Android.

And Now There is Google Currents

On Friday they announced Google Currents, Google's new application for consuming content on mobile devices. I signed up and started playing around with it, and it struck me that Google has created another piece of its platforms for consumers and content marketers that really helps to pull everything together.

If you are a content marketer, you really need to consider how this platform makes all of Google's other properties a content marketing platform and how it could work for you!

Google Currents' Benefit for Content Consumption

In Google's words:

"We strive to give you beautiful and simple ways to experience all the content the web has to offer, such as sharing photos on Google+, watching YouTube videos and discovering books, movies and music from Android Market. Today we're expanding our content offering with the introduction of Google Currents, a new application for Android devices, iPads and iPhones that lets you explore online magazines and other content with the swipe of a finger. We've worked with more than 150 publishing partners to offer full-length articles from more than 180 editionsincluding CNET, AllThingsD, Forbes, Saveur, PBS, Huffington Post, Fast Company and more. Content is optimized for smartphones and tablets, allowing you to intuitively navigate between words, pictures and video on large and small screens alike, even if you're offline.To get started, simply download the app and choose the publications you want to subscribe to for free. You can also add RSS, video and photo feeds, public Google+ streams and Google Reader subscriptions you're already following. In addition to consuming your favorite media, you can also use the trending tab to discover related content that matches your tastes." Pretty nice idea for people to be able to consume their content! It is not a new idea, but Google's resources behind the product will give it a solid chance of success.

The Benefit for Content Marketers

The more interesting part for Content Marketers is that they have a self-service platform that allows you to pull your content together and then to distribute it to Google Currents subscribers (and based on Google's accelerating momentum and the inherent value of this device, I suspect that there will be a lot of subscribers). Google writes:

Alongside Google Currents, we're also launching a self-service platform that gives publishers the flexibility to design, brand and customize their web content. For example, if you're a small regional news outlet, a non-profit organization without access to a mobile development team, or a national TV network with web content, you can effortlessly create hands-on digital publications for Google Currents.

Since Google Currents is cross platform (Android, iPhone, and iPad), content marketers now have a mobile platform that they can easily publish to.

My First View of Google Currents Self-Service Platform

I clicked through to get to their self-service platform and give it a test drive. Interestingly, the platform is not accessible through Firefox, my primary browser right now, so I had to shift over to Chrome in order to access it. (note their great tie-in to get more people to Chrome)

Since they also allow their users to set up Google Analytics, Content Marketers can get their analytics out of the platform. (glad that we are using the product already!) Also, the product has social sharing capabilities, so your readers can share your content with their circles. Finally, I suspect that the consumption and other data will makes its way to Google Search, so if you put out great content and use this platform, it may turn out to benefit your search results.

Interestingly, Google also had a bunch of other options for adding additional content in order to put together a great publication.

I was so blown away with how easy everything seemed to set up that I put some time aside next week to get a first test publication together!

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While I need to play with some things this week before we publish our first Google Currents document, my takeaway from all of this preliminary work today is that Google Currents stands an incredibly good chance of being a successful product for Content Marketers and it also helps stitch together all of their individual products for Content Marketers.

What are your thoughts. Does Google understand Content Marketing and have a strategy for building a platform for it? If they do, will it work?

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